Don't feel too bad about it, the polls weren't actually too far out, it's just that there was a shift in localised support. If the current incumbents are aware of their tenuous good fortune, they might even start doing things people want, I wouldn't keep your fingers crossed though.

Yeah, we been there too, Nick. 2004 was particularly bad--last year was less critical, but still hurt like hell. Sometimes you just have to gut it out and wait 'til next time. Dortmunder didn't make out in this one, but he had many good scores ahead of him. One mistake he never made was to put his trust in pollsters.

Thanks all. The result wasn't a huge surprise – well, the outright majority was, but not the gist of it – but for a while there, with the polls predicting a hung parliament, I thought there might be a chance. Ah well. Onwards.